Crackle Print Neoprene Top / Skirt Set

Well hello! I feel particularly Taylor Swift-like in this outfit, which is significantly more Taylor Swift-like than I feel... in any other outfit. What can I say, she knows how to rock a midriff.

I didn't ever think I would be interested in a crop top, to be honest, but something about the proportions is just so summer and just so great. It's such an itty bitty amount of skin, and as summer has progressed, it's grown on me. So I made this little set to jump on the bandwagon.

This is made from a BEAUTIFUL digitally printed neoprene fabric from Mood Fabrics. I am obsessed with how soft and lofty it is. When I ordered it (back in, like, April. Fabric hoarder, guys.), I expected it to be more like actual neoprene for scuba suits, or the stuff Can Koozies are made of, you know, quarter inch thick. (Side note, is it Koozies are the only instance where I'm down with replacing C's with K's for the sake of cleverness. I mean. It's a hug for your drink. It deserves that kind of kitsch.) However, when the fabric arrived, it was this thinner, buttery soft fabric with a beautiful drape. At first, I was a little disappointed, as I had been planning to make something really structured with it. I set it aside, determined to love it because of this amazing print, but didn't know what to make for a very long time.

In the time after it arrived, I periodically poked around to see what other sewists had made with this fabric, checking out the Mood Sewing Network blog (great reference if you aren't sure how a fabric behaves!) and searching on Pinterest. I mostly saw form fitting dresses, and saw that the fabric didn't press well, so lots of seaming didn't suit it. With that in mind, I settled on a fitted top and a fuller skirt, wanting to take full advantage of the fun drape of the fabric.

The top was roughly traced from a cropped tee I already own, just plain and fitted. The skirt I based off of a pleated skirt pattern I made for my senior collection in school, skipping the pockets and zipper and instead adding an elastic waistband.

The finishes turned out really great in this fabric. I faced the neckline, set the skirt waistband in circularly with the elastic caught in the seam, serged all seams, and then blind catchstitched all of the hems. I had aforementioned concerns about pressing, but for the neck and the hems, I put the iron on medium low, steamed the crap out of crease, and then clapped my sleeve roll ham on top and pressed down for about ten seconds. It worked really well! But I didn't even bother to try pressing the armhole seams, as you can see.

Unrelated, but you can see my little balcony garden behind me here! I've had such a fun time adopting this new hobby this year. I have tomato plants, jalepenos, basil, lavendar, mint, kale, some cacti and some succulents. I also grew snap peas and cilantro but they died already (after a small harvest!). Such a rewarding hobby!

Blue Bow Pleated Skirt

When I got back from Alaska in May but before I gallivanted off to Chicago, I spent a few days at home in the woods. In this brief respite, I got down and dirty & did a little stash busting. This blue fabric had been around for about 5 or 6 years, so it was high time to give it some new life. So, I made this nice little blue skirt with a happy bow. I love the length--I think it's the perfect happy medium!






There is a handpicked zipper in back with an extended waistband & button. I was just too lazy to do a hook and eye. I think I even sewed the button on with my machine! And, of course, pockets. I never ever regret putting pockets into a garment.



It's really nice to clean out the stash and make a little more room on my shelves. But it is never long before I fill them back up again! Do you find that you're a fabric hoarder? I just always plan on future projects and then never get to them. And I can't say no to a good deal on nice fabric.



Excuse the wrinkles! I knew I should've ironed it. On a less fun note, I found something disastrous today--TWO GRAY HAIRS ON MY HEAD. This is the worst thing in the history of ever. (I know, I'm being over-dramatic. But I'm only twenty!) Woe is me!

i built a fort

Hey lovelies. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families... I know I did! I went home for the first time since the semester started and it was the most amazing thing to be back. We had about a foot of snow on the ground, so we went sledding, hung out and played board games, talked, ate good food, and relaxed. I slept until noon one day! I never do that. But it was needed and it was wonderful. As hard as it was to come back and get back into my routine, it's very comforting to know there are a scant three weeks between me and Christmas break. I couldn't be more excited! Plus, coming back to friends here at school made things easier.



I wish I could describe to you how insane things have been. Basically, I've been learning way more than I thought I would, and not just in class. I had a pile up of exams and papers and huge projects this past month, making for a rough November. I stayed up for 40 straight hours one instance, learned that coffee trumps caffeine pills (at least in how you feel later), broke down a couple times, and probably wouldn't have made it without writing to my mom and hearing back from her. She always knows exactly what I need to hear, somehow. So, it's been a very stressful semester, but I'm hanging in there and have successfully made it through the worst. I think. Basically, this is why I haven't been blogging. Some things just have to fall to the way side when life takes over!

In my classic, airheaded fashion, I left the pants I made for Apparel Construction at home, so I can't show you photos until break. But this skirt is something I made back when I had more time. It's a heavier cotton mini with an asymmetrical separating zipper up the front.



shirt / wal-mart | skirt / handmade | tights / forever21

I got hair extensions, too, if you were wondering. My hair doesn't quite grow that fast! They're just clip-in ones, so I can take them out and put them in whenever. I love the length and thickness they give my hair, so awesome!

Haha, so, I made this little fort in my room and was trying to take photos just with the self timer but there wasn't much space and I was having a hard time of it. My neighbor Lindsay, also an apparel major, knocked on my door and burst out laughing when she saw what I was up to. Then she offered to take photos for me, which worked much better. This is the result of our fun!



Oh, guys. There's so much that's been happening that I don't think I can even put a dent in it. Maybe when the semester is over I'll do a long write-up of all the work I've done and show you a bunch of photos and such. I miss you all and I've been so terrible at following blogs. If you've been up to anything cool or have had anything happen lately, tell me about it! <3

19

Uh, hi, guys. Remember me? Remember that one time I called my hiatus "brief" & then skidaddled my way out of the state? Yep. About that... classes are so crazy that I haven't had time to do much else! But you know what? It's a good kind of busy. Because a lot of my busy revolves around fabric types and seam finishes, pressing techniques, Vogue assignments, street style, and considering studying abroad at the London College of Fashion in a few years. I can't complain about that!

Honestly, as heavy a workload as it is, I couldn't be more ecstatic that this is what I'm studying. This is what I'm going to do forever and I don't know if I could possibly be more head-over-heels with it. (Not so head-over-heels for Fundamentals of Speech, but even English Composition & American Government aren't too bad.)



Oh, so, today is my birthday. I'm not planning on doing much--probably sleeping (after staying up until 12:30 to finish my outfit & then having to get up at 6:30 for class), convincing a friend to watch the Blues Brothers with me, & indulging in the adorable Hello Kitty cupcakes my darling roomie got me. (For serious, she's the best. She's leaving this weekend & felt bad about missing my birthday, so she got cupcakes & made a fabulous door decoration & gave me a present in a glittery-rainbow-winged-horse gift bag. Aw.) I'm okay with low-key. 19 isn't a big deal (though it's my last year as a teen, that's weird), and I'd rather focus on the whole year ahead than just one day. Also, I'm planning a mutual birthday party with a friend for two weeks from today & am inviting my favorite people, so I don't need to celebrate beyond that.



My gift to myself was a new outfit: this super soft t-shirt & ruby red skirt. I whipped them up last night (woefully, without matching thread... something to fix someday else). Nothing beats a brand new outfit! Everything was basic, except that I inserted pockets in the seams! Molly (roommate) & I studied a store-bought skirt with seam inserted pockets, figured out how they were put together, & then I kind of winged it. I am so excited! The only problem is that I made them a little low so the zipper would fit in okay, but I'm really happy we were able to figure it out.



Note--I wrote most of this post in the morning after class... had a good, lazy, not-too-homework-filled day. Now I'm off to maybe socialize, we'll see. :)

necklace / gift | shirt & skirt / handmade | shoes / vintage, wonderwardrobe.etsy.com

New Improvements!

Something I didn't mention a couple days ago: I have a plot to blog for two weeks straight to make up for my two weeks of not posting. But, of course, Blogger had to go down yesterday evening. It didn't even save the long post I'd written up! So frustrating. Here we go again!



Two nights ago I did something I've been wanting to try since about January. I'd been looking at photos of Zooey Deschanel for a bit & had had a conversation with my friend Dana about it before deciding to take the plunge. So at about 11:30 at night I stood in front of the mirror, grabbed some scissors, and cut myself some bangs!





I made this skirt yesterday morning (in time to wear to church!). It's out of jersey knit, and it has a wide waistband, six darts in front, a blind hem, and nice pearl buttons in front to contribute to the sailor look. I was feeling very nautical. One day projects are the best!

After getting dressed, I felt like I needed something to pull the look together, so I found these chains my mom had given me, grabbed the anchor off a charm bracelet my aunt & cousin got for me, and put the two together! I actually love the two together, although maybe I should find silver chains if I keep the anchor as a necklace.



necklace / gift & diy'd | shirt / thrifted | skirt / handmade | shoes / vintage





I cut my bangs a little long, so they're very versatile, but I may trim them a little. Straight-up bangs:



Side-swept:



Not there at all:



And finally! I have mentioned The Clothes Horse blog in the past, I know. Rebecca, the genius behind it, always does these adorable animated GIFs, and so this is my little tribute to that. It is a kind of sloppy first try, but it was super fun to do so I'd like to try again so I can improve!

Tattered Skirt Tutorial

Finally. That's right, I have finally finished editing the tattered skirt tutorial. It's been 5 months, I know. I hope it's worth the wait!



The skirt is also for sale HERE.

Questions? Comments? Tips? Thoughts? You know I'd love to hear.

Skirt Reconstruction & Daily Outfit

In a Salvation Army excursion, I found a hideous polyester elastic-drop-waist floor-length dress and knew that it had potential somewhere in there! Mostly I noticed that it had pockets, and that was the main selling point for me. I never make my skirts with pockets, for some reason, and I always end up needing them.



I'm really pleased with how this skirt turned out! It's twirly and very fun to wear. And, um, pockets. Best invention ever.



- glasses - forever21
- cupcake necklace - E Ria Designs
- jacket - ragstock
- bamboo cowl shirt - handmade
- skirt - reconstructed
- oxfords - ebay





I wore this yesterday (before and after working in the shop, that is) for a 3-hour coffee/study session in the morning and a girls' movie night in (He's Just Not That Into You & 500 Days of Summer, if you were wondering).

Hope your weekend is pretty darn lovely!

Waiting on the Sunshine

I received my package from Forever21 yesterday! [insert loud squeal of glee here.] I ordered these shoes and glasses and am terribly in love with all of it! The shoes are comfortable and wonderfully vintage-inspired, and the glasses... I just feel like the glasses are a perfect way to put on a bit of a disguise. It's fun.



So I finally made it to the thrift store to get some new clothes, and came across this fabulous blouse & skirt. The skirt was about ankle length, so this afternoon I shortened and hemmed it, and now I have a totally new outfit! I don't have many yellow garments, either, so this shirt is going to be fun to work with. Eventually, when it gets warm, I'll be able to match it with my favorite yellow shoes!



I'm wearing:

- glasses - forever21
- blouse - thrifted
- skirt - vintage, shortened
- floral fishnets - target
- oxfords - forever21

This outfit is very "Librarian Chic," I think.



Today was a swell day. I slept in, went to the antique store, walked in the lightly falling snow & bought munchies for cheap.

Now we're going to watch a horror movie! Have a good night, darlings.

So now I need to attend a Luncheon...

Or a tea. Or an afternoon cocktail party. I would be properly attired!





This outfit was ridiculously easy to make. Here's a rundown of how I did it:

The skirt, believe it or not, used to be a pair of pajama pants. It's 100% silk fabric & I couldn't possibly say no! I cut the legs off right below the crotch & opened up the inseam so I had two large chunks of fabric. Then, I stitched the two together, making the hem of the pants the top of the skirt. After that, all I had to do was pinch + pin a bit to adjust the fit, insert an invisible zipper, and hem the bottom! So simple.



I'm really excited about the shirt, & am thinking that a version of it will be in my spring/summer collection. It was just a basic scoop neck top, but with a longer cut & an unfinished bottom (so as to avoid awkward lines under the skirt). Then I cut spirals out of the fabric, and handstitched them with pearls to the neckline. I was inspired by... okay, this is going to sound funny, but you know how in regency times, men would wear those huge, ruffled, complex cravats? And the fabric is just spilling out over their vests & coats. I love the way that behaves! So I tried to modernize it, & it ended up being a very pleasing effect.



So, yes, I'm very excited about this new outfit! I made both pieces yesterday evening--that's how easy it was! It doesn't exactly fit in my world right now, but I'm wearing it anyway.

Official Tutorial Skirt Pictures

It's almost done, sweeties! I just want this to be really good, you know? It's also taking a little longer because I have about zero experience editing videos, and dang, it's hard to do it well. (Which, it should be noted, I'm not doing. Doing it well, that is.) But I finally got a chance to run out with my dad to get good pictures of the skirt (which are needed for the video, as well!) & I thought I would share them with you!



I just want to note, stilettos + snow do not work together.





Oh, this thing is so poofy. It's also big on me, so it sits much lower on my hips than skirts normally would. I had a lot of fun adding details, which you'll see better in the video, and it's funny that I made this in a couple days, but it took me a month to finish my other skirt.

xo!